Fourth candidate asks Gov. Ron DeSantis for appointment to the Marion County Commission

A fourth candidate has emerged as a possible replacement for County Commissioner Jeff Gold, who has resigned with time still left in his term.

Matt McClain is the son of state Rep. Stan McClain (himself a former county commissioner) and an aide to state Sen. Dennis Baxley, a former Belleview mayor. Baxley said McClain has worked on all of his campaigns and he trusts him.

In the contest to fill Gold's seat McClain joins Belleview Mayor Christine Dobkowski; Jose Juarez, a businessman who recently ran and lost a race for the state House District 24 seat; and Michael "Mike" Crimi, a physician assistant and military veteran who previously lost a bid to become a county commissioner.

Gov. Ron DeSantis' office has not said when the governor will announce the appointment. The Star-Banner has sought, but not yet received, a full list of people who have contacted the governor's office seeking the appointment.

The commission keeps working

It has been a more than a month since the Board of County Commissioners has had five members for a meeting.

Gold, representing District 3, attended his last meeting in May. Gold's seat is up for election in 2024. However, he decided to leave early to pursue other opportunities.

County commission Chairman Craig Curry said the county has reached out to the governor's office but has not heard anything.

Despite not knowing when they'll get an answer, Curry said "we're doing fine." But he said it would be nice to have five commissioners.

The county commission is scheduled to have joint meetings with the school board about impact fees. He said it would be nice to have five commissioners involved in making such an important decision.

"We just sit here patiently waiting on a decision," Curry said.

Marion is a fast growing county, Curry said, and government continues to receive calls and emails about issues in Gold's district. It's additional work, and "a lot of it comes my way."

Gold said though his last meeting was May 16, he has taken part in other gatherings throughout the month.

The former commissioner said he submitted his resignation letter on June 6. He said he wanted to stay on the board through July, but left early so "the governor would have the opportunity to replace my position prior to budget workshops (happening this week) and an upcoming vote in reference to impact fees for the school board."

Gold is a former firefighter at Marion County Fire Rescue and also served as a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy for close to 30 years. At the sheriff's office, Gold was awarded the Medal of Valor, the highest honor a deputy can receive.

Voters put Gold into office in 2016 and he was re-elected in 2020.

About County Commission District 3

District 3 stretches from south of the Ocala city limits to The Villages. It also includes Belleview and Summerfield.

Commissioners serve four-year terms. They are elected countywide but represent districts. The races are partisan. All four current commissioners are Republicans. So are Gold and DeSantis.

Commissioner salaries are set by the state and based on population. For fiscal year 2022-23, the annual pay for Marion County commissioners ranks 19th out of the 67 counties at $97,034.

About Matt McClain

"He listens more than he talks. He's very solid, reliable and extremely honest," Baxley said.

Interest: 3 people express interest soon-to-open Marion County Commission seat

McClain told a Star-Banner reporter he's a second generation Marion County resident. He also has worked on former state Rep. Charlie Stone's campaign and was Stone's legislative aide. Stone at one time was a county commissioner.

"Ocala has been my home my whole life," said McClain, who has been married for 11 years and three children. He has a degree in business and organizational management from the College of Central Florida.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: County Commission: DeSantis has at least four candidates for open seat